This Underrated Grain May Help Manage Blood Sugar & Prevent Diabetes

Researchers from the University of Reading in England wanted to look at the effects of different kinds of millet, compared to other grains. To do this, they reviewed 80 different studies on millet, which included 1,000 people from 11 different countries.

Based on the review, eating millets may actually reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. On top of that, researchers found it helped manage blood glucose levels for people with diabetes.

Millets have a relatively low average glycemic index (GI), especially when compared to other grains. (A food's GI basically gives a number to how much and how quickly a food will spike blood sugar.) With a GI of 52.7 on average, that's significantly lower than rice, corn, and refined wheat. According to the research, those levels remained low to medium, regardless of how the grain was cooked.

Plus, the researchers found diabetic people who ate millet on a daily basis saw a decrease in blood glucose levels, with some even getting into the prediabetes range. They observed similar benefits in people with prediabetes.

The bottom line is, if you're not on the millet train yet, you might want to get on board. Even if you're not diabetic or prediabetic, the study authors note millets can also have preventive benefits when it comes to diabetes and blood sugar maintenance.

And as the cherry on top of an already promising grain, millets are also known to be sustainable, with a low carbon footprint. (They also grow easily in high temperatures and don't need too much water, for what it's worth.)